CVD Risk

TRAP-HC is a multicenter, observational, longitudinal, prospective study designed to evaluate real-world treatment patterns and lipid-lowering therapy (LLT) management in patients with hypercholesterolemia, including familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), who are at high, very high, or extreme cardiovascular risk. Approximately 2,500 adult patients will be enrolled across up to 15 Italian LIPIGEN network centers and followed for 12 months as part of routine clinical practice. The study aims to assess LDL-C goal attainment according to current European guidelines, evaluate changes in lipid profiles over time, and investigate treatment adherence, persistence, and therapeutic modifications in response to clinical needs. Data collected during routine visits will include lipid parameters, cardiovascular history, concomitant therapies, safety outcomes, and patient-reported adherence measures. By providing real-world evidence on the management of hypercholesterolemia in high-risk populations, the study seeks to identify current gaps between guideline recommendations and clinical practice and to support optimization of cardiovascular risk reduction strategies.

Stearic acid and palmitic acid are two common consumed saturated fatty acids found in foods. Palmitic acid is associated with increases in blood cholesterol, whereas stearic acid is generally considered neutral with respect to blood cholesterol. However, the mechanisms underlying these different effects are not fully understood. The goal of this clinical trial is to determine how replacing dietary palmitic acid with stearic acid affects microorganisms living in the gastrointestinal tract (gut microbiome) and the metabolites they produce, including secondary bile acids, and whether these changes influence heart and metabolic health in postmenopausal women. The main question it aims to answer is whether the cholesterol lowering effect of dietary stearic acid, compared to dietary palmitic acid is due to changes in the composition and function of the gut microbiome and bile acid metabolism. Participants will consume a controlled diet high in palmitic acid for a 10-day run-in period, followed by a controlled diet high in stearic acid for 28 days. During the study, participants will provide biological samples, including blood samples collected in both fasting and non-fasting states, for assessment of cardiometabolic outcomes. Participants will also swallow mini-pills designed to collect samples from different regions of the gastrointestinal tract to assess the gut microbiome and related metabolites. Results will contribute to understanding the relationship between stearic acid mediated microbiota effects on cardiometabolic heath.

This project aims to compare the effectiveness of Wellnuts, an evidence-based, algorithm-driven self-health assessment mobile application, in empowering asymptomatic young-to-midlife adults in Hong Kong, promoting health awareness, and improving health-seeking behaviour and linkage-to-care, compared with conventional web-based health resources. Participants will be randomly allocated to the mobile health intervention group (Wellnuts app with self-health assessment and health information) and the conventional web-based resources control group (health information from Centre for Health Protection website). Hopefully, population health will be improved with the general health promotion impact from the app.